THE City of Edinburgh Council looks set revoke the Common Good status of a park in Craigmillar, Edinburgh to build a new primary school which will serve the area.
Plans for a new primary school, which will be nestled in the area of Hunter’s Hall Park and the Jack Kane Community and Sports Centres, have been progressing since the start of the year.
After a public consultation, concerns were raised over public safety for people using the park, the need to protect green spaces, a desire to expand the services available in the park and its buildings, and the need for better access into and through the park.
Now, Edinburgh Council will issue a statutory consultation notice which will propose the revocation of Hunter Hall Park’s Common Good status so a new primary school can be built.
There are also plans to relocate the nearby Greengables Nursery School to the new school site.
Plans for the construction of a BMX track also require that the land no longer be held as common good.
These plans already have a budget in place and “in principle” funding from SportScotland.
The plans for the primary school are still at an early stage and, although the public has been consulted, there is currently a low level of awareness about the plans in the local community.
The proposal for statutory consultation to decide how next to proceed was initially handed to the Educations, Children and Families Committee, but has now been passed to the Culture and Communities Committee.
The proposal for the statutory consultation has already been approved on 2 September, but the report will now be scrutinised by the Culture and Communities Committee.
A statement posted online about the proposed new primary school says that the construction of the school will support the future of the nearby park and community centre, and that the council envisages a new, larger “vibrant” hub.
It states: “We want to create a vibrant hub that brings education, sports, health, and wider community services together, while supporting the future of Hunter’s Hall Park and the Jack Kane Community and Sports Centres.”
“As part of this planned work, we need to develop a new school to meet growing local demand.
“This project responds to current development plans for the area and feedback from previous engagement to create a hub for learning, recreation, and community activity, alongside the original plan for a new BMX facility.”
The council says it is meeting with key stakeholders to review findings and agree the best approach to progressing into the next stage of planning.
